Punjab: SAD-BJP combine back in the saddle
06 Mar 2012
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine returned to power in Punjab winning 68 of the total 117 assembly seats.
Congress, led by former chief minister Amarinder Singh, managed to win 46 seats so far, while other parties won three seats.
Prominent winners included BJP's Navjot Kaur from Amritsar East, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, Hockey Olympian Pargat Singh and Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma.
SAD nominees Janmeja Singh (Maur), Hameet Singh Sandhu (Tarn Taran), Gurbachan Singh Babbehali (Gurdaspur) and Ajit Singh Kohar (Shahkot) also retained their seats.
The other SAD winners were Manpreet Singh Aiyali (Dakha), Pawan Kumar Tinu (Adampur), Sharanjit Singh Dhillon (Sahnewal), Sarwam Singh (Kartarpur), Mantar Singh Brar (Kot Kapura) and Sikander Singh Maluka (Rampura Phul).
BJP winners included former minister and sitting member Manoranjan Kalia (Jalandhar Central), former minister Madam Mohan Mittal (Anandpur Sahab) and former IAS officer Som Parkash (Phagwara).
